Ice, Ice Baby
by Alison-beads-of-fiction
Summary: A fic for Alison featuring AH Eric, Todd Bertuzzi, the NHL, and Candiana by Samarareads, BonTempsCutie, and SallyDoodle. AH/OOOOOC


**A/N:**

This fic is dedicated to our wonderful friend, AlisonByNumbers. It's not a traditional SVM/FF fic, and involves the world of the NHL, Todd Bertuzzi, and Canadiana. Read at your own risk. HA HA.

In lieu of reviews, please send well wishes to our girl, Ali!

Huge thanks to SeaStarr08 who was kind enough to beta this sucker - she's the bee's knees!

xoxo,  
SamaraReads, BonTempsCutie, & SallyDoodle

P.S. Check out our banner on the Alison-Beads-Of-Fiction profile page!

**Ice, Ice, Baby**

Alison was sitting in the stands of the Garage, wringing her hands nervously. Even though this was just a practice game, Eric's place on the Canucks depended on him playing well tonight and impressing the right people. Eric looked up at her and winked as he skated past in a warm up lap. He looked good, even when covered nearly head to toe, and her mind wandered to what he looked like without any of the gear on. She felt her stomach flutter, but soon regained her composure, mentally willing Eric to pay attention and take the game seriously. It wasn't only Eric's future that was at stake here... she hoped. Alison and Eric had been together for almost a year, and while she couldn't imagine her future without him, they hadn't explicitly ironed out the details.

It was still a couple hours until face off and Alison was getting more and more nervous, so she decided to step outside and grab some coffee. Eric would know, this was her pre-game ritual, and she'd be back in time before the puck dropped. It had been a couple of years since she'd been to her favourite Tim Horton's by the arena, and a hot drink would do wonders for her nerves. "Starbucks can sod off," she thought. "Tim's is the place to go for good coffee that doesn't cost an arm and a leg."

As she walked the few short blocks, she breathed in the smell of the city and the rain and smiled contently. Vancouver had always been special to Alison, and with Eric's shot at signing with the Canucks, she hoped she'd be able to call it home once again. By the time she walked into Timmy's, she was almost giddy, at the thought of living here, with him. She ordered her favourites, then found an empty table by the window, grabbing her notebook and pen out of the beautiful Coach bag Eric had given her for her birthday last year.

Rain continued to drizzle down, as Alison stared out at the people rushing by with their ever-present umbrellas. Eric cursed the seemingly endless rain in Vancouver, but Alison loved it because it reminded her of growing up in England. She gave a happy little sigh and returned to writing in her notebook, sipping a Double Double and enjoying some Timbits.

"Ali?" a husky voice said from behind her.

Alison turned around and looked up, all the way up, to see a hauntingly familiar face, deep brown eyes and ruffled hair. "Bloody hell." She closed her eyes and shook her head, thinking it must have been her mind playing tricks on her, coming back to Vancouver. She took a deep breath, opened her eyes and finally managed to say, "What are you doing here?"

"Is that the way you say hello after not seeing me for two years?" Her mind was definitely not playing tricks on her. Standing before her was Todd Bertuzzi, star of the Detroit Red Wings, who also happened to be her ex-boyfriend and first love.

"It's been three years, and well, I'm just a little surprised to see you. Shouldn't you be in Detroit?" She eyed him curiously. Alison thought that the U.S. was a huge country and that Todd would be on the other side of it.

"It's the off-season and I'm just here for a couple days, doing a favour for a friend." He paused, and took his time to look her over from head to toe. "You look fantastic, Ali. Still in love with Moleskine, I see," he said as he gestured towards her notebook. He remembered, she thought.

"Yes, well, men come and go, but fine Italian notebooks will always hold a special place in my heart," she said with a wink.

Todd smiled and looked back on the table where he spotted her Mont Blanc pen. "You kept my pen." he said in almost a whisper. There was a hint of sadness to his face, then it quickly disappeared into a disarming grin. "That must mean you don't completely hate me."

Alison felt her cheeks redden and had to force her mind and stomach to stop racing. "First of all, it's _my_ pen - you gave it to me. And of course I don't hate you. It was a mutual decision, the timing wasn't right, and we've both moved on." She said the words quickly, deliberately, and a little like she'd practised them. Todd had been playing for the Canucks when Alison first met him. She got offered her dream job back home in London at the same time that Todd was signed by the Red Wings. Eventually, they made the difficult decision to each pursue their own dreams, without each other.

Todd chuckled, "Oh, I see." He moved a little closer to her and put his hand up to brush her long hair back behind her shoulder.

Alison was flustered by the all-too-familiar gesture. "Look, I know this is weird, but I really have started a new life. I'm seeing someone... and it's serious." She moved back slightly so that they weren't touching.

"Ali, I feel so lucky that we ran into each other. I've missed you, your sense of humour, your accent. The way it gets stronger when you're riled up." Todd was grinning now because he had always enjoyed teasing her, any way he could.

"Look, Todd, I've got a lot of fond memories, but that's all they are." She looked down at her watch. "Oh bollocks. I have to run. It was lovely running into you."

"Ali, wait, can't you just hang out for a little longer?" Todd asked her, with a playful pout, that she'd never been able to resist, but that was then. No matter how much Alison was tempted to stay and reminisce, she wouldn't dare be late for Eric's game.

"No, I need to make it back to the arena. My boyfriend is playing." She stood up, and looked way up at him. She loved the way his t-shirt clung to his chiselled chest. She always had.

"Wait, you're dating a hockey player? You certainly have a type." He snorted.

"You may both play hockey, but you and Eric are nothing alike. And I really have to go."

Todd was chuckling. "Eric? You're dating Eric Northman? That figures."

Alison was now intrigued. "You know Eric?"

"Let's just say I'm supposed to be at the arena too, and Eric's reputation precedes him, in many ways. I'll walk you there and we can catch up more on the way back."

She gathered up her belongings and quickly wrapped herself in her coat. Todd held her umbrella and the two of them headed back outside to the Garage. They walked fast, in silence, for the first couple blocks. She wanted to ask him what he meant about Eric's reputation, but she also didn't want to be late. Finally as they entered the arena and walked up the bleachers, Todd said, "You know, all eyes are going to be on Northman tonight. He's got a lot to prove."

"Gee, Todd, no, I wasn't aware of that. Thank you for enlightening me." Alison quipped with a smile, rolling her eyes playfully.

"You once told me sarcasm was the lowest form of wit, Ali."

"Well, I had to use something you'd understand." Alison giggled.

Alison turned her gaze, from her former lover, to the ice and scanned over the players for her current one. She easily spotted him, his shaggy blond hair peeking out from the back of his helmet. He was, by a long shot, the best player out there; the Canucks would be fools to pass on such an acquisition. She took her seat just as Eric noticed that she was there. He said something to a fellow player, then glided effortlessly over to her, giving her that big gorgeous smile and a wink before he skated off again.

"Your boy sure is a strong player, a little bit of a puck hog, but good nonetheless," Todd remarked as they both watched the players compete in a scrimmage game. "I should recommend him to the head honchos in Detroit, I presume you'd be coming with him?" he asked, looking at Ali with the little smirk on his face that she knew so well.

"Well, I'm hoping to stay in Vancouver. You, of all people, should know how much I love this city and the Canucks," she replied.

"Yes, yes I do. You can't get enough of us, eh?" he shot back, with one eyebrow raised. "But can you blame me for wanting you to come to Detroit?"

"Well, no." Alison said, with a smirk of her own. "But I am with Eric now and couldn't be happier." As the game continued, Alison grew less nervous, and more excited. Eric was playing brilliantly, even by his standards. By the time the game ended, Alison knew he'd be first pick.

The players started to come off the ice and head for the showers. Eric gave her a quizzical look when he saw her sitting with Todd, but she just gave him a quick smile and wave to reassure him that she was fine.

Alison got up from her seat in the bleachers and headed out to the lobby, with Todd trailing behind her like a big, scruffy, albeit gorgeous, puppy dog. They stood in a somewhat awkward, yet now familiar silence as Eric walked out from the dressing room, freshly showered and looking ever so much the Viking sex god that he was. A man in a tailored suit walked alongside him. As they got closer, Alison overheard him say to Eric, "The Canucks would be very pleased to have such a young, promising player on their team. You can expect a call from us soon."

As they came to a halt in front of the waiting duo, Todd chimed in with a playful smirk, "Not if the Red Wings call him first, Joel. Great tryout, Eric." And with that, Todd shook Eric's hand, gave Alison a wink and a smile, and sauntered off through the doors of the arena and down the street. Joel walked over to some of the other players filing out, as Eric turned back to Alison.

"Ali?" Eric asked. "Everything okay?"

She threw her arms around his neck and pressed herself into his warm body. "Oh my stars, Eric! The Canucks are interested in signing you!"

He pulled back a bit to look into her eyes and glanced in the direction Todd had been standing moments ago. "And apparently, so are the Red Wings."

She could see that he was asking her more than where he should play. Seeing Todd again made her realize that what she had with Eric was bigger than hockey. When she and Todd had called it quits to pursue their individual dreams, it was a sign that they weren't meant to be. Her life with Eric was different. All that mattered was that they were together. The thought of them going their separate ways brought tears to her eyes. She cupped his face with her tiny hands and looked directly into his eyes. "I don't care which team you pick, luv, or even if you decide you don't want to play at all. As long as we're together, that's all that really matters."

Eric used his thumbs to wipe the tears away and leaned in. He kissed her lips, softly at first. When she responded, he deepened the kiss, claiming her lips and tongue and gripping her arms strongly. Finally he broke the kiss, resting his forehead on hers. They were both breathless.

"Um, Ali?"

Still catching her breath, she answered, "Yes, Eric?"

"I'm starving. Can we get out of here?"

And just like that, the tension that had hung between them was gone. Giggling like a couple of kids, they slung their arms around each other, his over her shoulder, hers around his waist, and they walked out of the Garage.

They had already decided earlier that they were going to Tony Roma's for dinner. They had the best ribs in the world. Alison had been talking about them for weeks.

LE FIN


End file.
